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It seems to me that you're getting overly adamant trying to establish as fact what cannot be known yet, except maybe to the DirecTV and NHLCI programmers. Relax, and let the story unfold over the next few weeks.

It looks like the "early bird" price is good until four weeks into the season. I expect I'll hold out 'til then before buying it, so I can see if HD is part of the deal.

They "dropped" the price 10 dollars, which means Rupert and D* got a 20 dollar break per customer or whatever his total contract bid is and passed 10 dollars along to customers conning us into geting a "deal".

Here goes another can of worms or actually the same can, but I seriously doubt they are going to include any games in HD for the SD Center Ice package price.

Maybe we are all just too adamant about wanting more HD that we don't want to hear the truth till it comes. I know I want more HD and I and many others on here get downright beligerent in our quest for more HD. As well we should because SD sucks, especially on my TV. I tolerate it at best.

We do know beyond ANY doubt that no NHL CI games in the 700s will be in HD.

But then no MLB EI games in the 700s have been in HD and no NBC LP games in the 700s have been in HD.

So far D* has provided something more than 60 MLB EI games in HD on channels 94, 95 and 96 in the past seven weeks.

And the recent past experience -- along with the current MLB EI reality -- would say you are dead wrong.

Then again the NHL CI base may be so small it isn't worth it to D* to provide any games in HD. I am not sure of the precise numbers, but MLB EI and NBA LP subs dwarf those of the NHL CI.

Hi Fred,
Regarding MLB EI games in HD, is there a schedule somewhere for upcoming games? Tonight, I was looking for the Giants-Dodgers game, and nothing was listed on the guide in the 90s. ESPNHD was carrying it, but it was in SD with the fill-in side bars. Luckily, I found the FSN West 2 HD telecast on the Star Choice SportsNet HD channel.
Do you know if there has been an end-of-the-season special deal for EI in the past?
Carl

The future of Comcastâ€™s OLN network calls for a 40-cent-a-month rate increase and Time Warner possibly taking an equity stake in the network, sources say.
Time Warner has an option to acquire an 11 percent stake in OLN, multiple sources said. Itâ€™s one of many such options that Time Warner Cable has written into carriage deals with cable networks owned by other media companies. The deal with OLN dates back to 2001 when Time Warner reached a new carriage agreement with OLN after Comcast acquired the network.
Time Warner is expected to exercise its option and become part-owner of the network if OLN successfully acquires rights to the NFL or Major League Baseball. OLN, fresh off adding NHL rights, is in talks with both leagues, sources said.
Should OLN add the NFL, internal plans call for the network to ask cable operators to pay 40 cents more per subscriber per month, according to a source with knowledge of OLNâ€™s long-term business plan.
The network now charges most cable and satellite operators about 15 cents a subscriber per month, a source said. According to Comcact COO Steve Burke, OLNâ€™s deals with many operators expire at the end of this year, and the network will increase rates then.
A 40-cent rate hike, if accepted by operators, would mean an additional $307 million on OLNâ€™s books, based on its current subscriber base of 64 million. If OLN added 20 million subscribers at 55 cents a month, a reasonable expectation if it were to add the NFL or MLB, that would mean roughly an additional $132 million in revenue. Therefore, the immediate gain from adding the additional programming would be nearly $440 million a year.
OLN will pay the NHL $65 million this season, plus an additional $15 million if it grows its subscriber base to 80 million or adds another major sports property.
The eight-game Thursday-Saturday NFL package might cost the company as much as $400 million a year, according to industry estimates.
Although the affiliate revenue increases and rights fees appear to counterbalance each other, much of the additional revenue would actually come out of Comcast and Time Warnerâ€™s pockets, as they are the two largest cable operators, with 21 million and 11 million subscribers, respectively, and therefore two of OLNâ€™s largest customers.
OLN, Comcast and Time Warner declined to comment.

XM Satellite Radio has signed a 10-year, $100 million agreement to be the exclusive satellite radio network of the NHL beginning with the 2007-08 season. XM will begin broadcasting NHL games with the start ofthe 2005-06 season, but will become the League's exclusive partner with the 2007-08 season.

XM will provide live play-by-play coverage of more than 1,000 games per season, and XM will also create a dedicated NHL radio channel featuring original programming that will focus on all aspects of the sport. NHL games and the NHL channel will be available in Canada through XM's partner, Canadian Satellite Radio, which is funding a portion of the agreement.

Under the agreement, XM will include game coverage of every team in the league, plus will air the NHL All-Star Game, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Finals.

XM recently signed an 11-year, $650 million deal to air Major League Baseball, but lost its NASCAR coverage to rival Sirius Radio, beginning in 2007.

XM Satellite Radio has signed a 10-year, $100 million agreement to be the exclusive satellite radio network of the NHL beginning with the 2007-08 season. XM will begin broadcasting NHL games with the start ofthe 2005-06 season, but will become the League's exclusive partner with the 2007-08 season.

GREAT! I just ordered an XM: MyFi!!!

It'll be here Friday! SWEET! I wonder if we'll get the local Detroit feed on the games! Now that would be awesome!

Since COMCAST has a stranglehold on the OLN rights, does OLN-HD even exist? I was shocked as hell to see DirecTV finally get off their asses, and get ESPN2-HD on the bird.

I am still torn whether or not to pull the trigger and order the center ice package. Since the BULK of the games are EST/EDT, starts, I work until 6:00 PM MST time, so I'd miss the bulk of the weekday games.

OLN lost MLB bidding to ESPN -- excerptThe new deal could put a kink in Comcast's plans to transform its Outdoor Life Network into a major sports destination. OLN, which has the Tour de France and a new agreement with the National Hockey League, had hoped to grab some MLB rights as well. There are some remaining MLB windows that Comcast or others could still obtain after next year.

I spoke to a Comcast rep today and they verified that OLN will be in HD by the beginning of the NHL season (10/5) and on my local Comcast area in Virginia. I assume that most areas with available space will also carry OLN HD.

I spoke to a Comcast rep today and they verified that OLN will be in HD by the beginning of the NHL season (10/5) and on my local Comcast area in Virginia. I assume that most areas with available space will also carry OLN HD.

I wonder how long DirecTV will take to move it on. You know, you think with them launching all these new sats, you'd think they'd be ready.

I spoke to a Comcast rep today and they verified that OLN will be in HD by the beginning of the NHL season (10/5) and on my local Comcast area in Virginia. I assume that most areas with available space will also carry OLN HD.

The HD games produced by OLN will be on Comcast systems - but not on a full-time OLD HD channel -- at least not initially. The HD games are expected to be on INHD1 and/or INHD2.